The Operator
Release Date: July 22, 2024
Adventure, detective, puzzle elements, Crime, indie games, simulation elements, singleplayer
OpenCritic
The Operator is an adventure game, in which our job is to provide support for agents of the fictional FDI sent to the field. We help them solve various crimes, analyze the material, search databases and use a specialized software for completing various types of tasks.
The Operator is an adventure game in which we play the role of the titular operator who remotely supports agents of the fictional FDI. The game is the debut project of the independent studio Bureau 81, which has been in existence since 2023.
Plot
In The Operator we play the role of an employee of the fictional FDI agency, investigating criminal cases that exceed the competences of the police. During the game we have to deal with various cases, including murders, disappearances, and cyber attacks.
Although our task is "only" to provide support to field agents, over time we begin to learn more about our employers. Establishing contact with the wanted cybercriminal known as HAL allows us to gradually uncover the grim truth about the people holding the highest positions in the FDI.
Gameplay
Despite the title The Operator may suggest similarity to the 911 Operator series, we are in fact dealing with a different production. In the work of Bureau 81, it is not the victims of crimes or people in need of help who contact us, but agents sent to crime scenes, and our task is to actively provide them with support.
We support our colleagues working in the field by searching through the collected evidence and databases for them. All of this is to find clues that could lead the FDI on the right track, and consequently - identify the perpetrator and lead to his capture.
Although cleverness, intuition, perceptiveness and meticulousness are welcome in this work, the implementation of the tasks entrusted to us is facilitated by specialized programs, such as video, photo and chemical analyzers (ChemScan). A notebook and a fully functional terminal are also useful.
From time to time we have the opportunity to look into unauthorized places. When doing this without informing our superiors, we risk losing our job, however, the temptation to gain additional information may prove to be too great.
Videos and Screens
[0:30] The Operator The Operator - Gameplay Trailer
GameSpew: 8 / 10 by Kim Snaith
Impeccably presented, The Operator leaves you feeling like a real government agent, solving real crimes and becoming embroiled in a real conspiracy. It's not the longest experience, but we were thoroughly engrossed in every minute of it; our only real complaint is that we were left wanting more.
Softpedia: 8 / 10 by Cosmin Vasile
The Operator will attract anyone who likes a good mystery with some very contemporary themes and does not care too much about complex gameplay. The story moves at a good pace, the characters have personalities, and the general atmosphere of paranoia works well. But the mechanics are built around a computer screen, a few apps, and plenty of reading.
God is a Geek: 8 / 10 by Mick Fraser
As a narrative puzzle game, The Operator is very good. It never feels unsolvable, but isn't insultingly easy either, and presents itself with some nice touches.
The Operator Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows
The Operator System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 970, 3 GB HDD, Windows 7